A blog exploring the intersection of economic thinking and urban planning/real estate development and related big-think themes.

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Fake but Accurate

If we stoop to generalize U.S. politics in terms of a simple left-right spectrum, it appears that many on the left honestly see themselves as on the side of the angels (e.g., Dan Rather, et al.) while many on the right garner a sense of self-righteousness in reaction (e.g., "can you believe these guys?").

The current flap over the 60-Minutes Memogate slip-up corroborates the point. While Fox-TV News flaunts their "fair and balanced" mantra and everyone knows that it's a Rupert Murdoch joke, the much more serious left now defends the Dan Rather evidence embarrassment as simply being about some memos that are "fake but accurate."

Unintended self-parody.

"Fake but accurate" just might make it into the folklore of our time -- along with, "if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit ...", "it depends on the definition of 'is', ..." and, of course, "fair and balanced."